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Greg - 2007-04-03 11:39:40
The media always makes these headlines really contentious, almost challenging a reader to choose sides without reading the article. "Should Apes Have The Same Rights As Humans?" My gut reaction without reading another word was "No, certainly not." It's a thoughtful article though, and some of the reader comments as well. The title of this article very well could have been, "Should The Law Offer Greater Protection to Apes?" I'd say yes, certainly, and probably to most other animals as well. Should apes be entitled to the same protection under the law as people? No, but it could be more equal and well matched to their species and circumstance and in that way be BETTER than the protection offered to humans. Better for them anyway.
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Greg - 2007-04-03 11:42:01
Paula--All that to say that I agree with you.
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Philip - 2007-04-03 14:46:44
Do you believe that apes have souls?
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Paula - 2007-04-03 15:00:13
I don't believe that anyone has a soul. It's a nice metaphor, though. But I believe in crepe soles.
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Greg - 2007-04-03 15:21:06
No soul? Really? Even Al Green? No really... seriously. You don't believe that anyone has a soul?
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Paula - 2007-04-03 16:37:48
We'd probably need to define our terms a little, but I believe that we are more than our bodies and our minds, and we are all connected to each other and to everything, and everything we see is a projection of consciousness.

So I believe there is much more to life than meets the senses. But a "soul" is kind of a nebulous concept, like "chakras" or reincarnation. It works as a metaphor, and it works as a concept (like "the common good") that guides and organizes behavior, but it's not a real thing per se, IMO.
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Joe - 2007-04-03 16:51:11
Rick is a minister, so a lot of his albums are spiritiual compositions. RETRO, Rick's latest album, is really good if you like prog instrumentals. He plays almost exclusively vintage gear: Minimoogs, mellotrons, etc.
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Paula - 2007-04-03 17:01:41
No kiddin'? That's really cool! So, presumably Rick Wakeman has a soul.
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Greg - 2007-04-03 17:04:16
Okay... I can definitely get behind an undefined thing, without a doubt. Insofar as either DNA or a soul relate to other primates, I would put them all as connected to us... and to plant life too for that matter... the Earth in general. We need better laws to protect everything. Being at the top of the food chain as we are, I believe there is a moral obligation to examine, evaluate and update our views, behavior and laws--we are by default in a position of stewardship over everything else.
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Greg - 2007-04-03 17:05:04
Rick Wakeman has no soul whatsoever.
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Tom G. - 2007-04-03 18:06:23
Rick Wakeman has no soul whatsoever.

So we no longer need to protect Rick Wakeman? (Extremely funny one-liner, Greg, thanks!)
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Philip - 2007-04-03 19:37:47
It is worth seeing "Moog" (the Robert Moog documentary) just for the scene where, backstage somewhere, Moog is flanked by Rick Wakeman and Bernie Worrell on either side, and they are trading off stories about music and what the Moog synthesizer has meant to them over the years. The contrast between the two keyboard players is both hilarious and mind-blowing, and may well be admissible as evidence in support of Greg's assertion.
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Paula - 2007-04-04 11:26:31
MOOG has been queued--thank you!
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